Clockwise from top-left: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Comm. Larry Suffredin (D-13), Comm. Stanley Moore (D-4) and Civic Federation president Laurence Msall speak during a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners quickly approved a measure on Tuesday to hike the salaries for all county elected officials — including themselves — by 10 percent, with step-ups set to follow every year through 2026.

Commissioners defended the pay bump as a long-overdue and necessary step to keep up with inflation and to keep the county’s top positions attractive to candidates. But with just five weeks until the primary election, it proved an awkward maneuver for incumbents and a gift to their challengers. All four commissioners who are facing primary challenges voted against the measure.